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Promax&BDA to debut in China
MUMBAI: Promax&BDA will hold its first conference in China this November. The organisation has announced that it would hold its maiden conference in China, in conjunction with the 8th Sichuan Television Festival (SCTVF).
The Sichuan Television Festival, sponsored by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China, runs from November 26 to November 28, and features various events and awards programmes. These include the International Television Programme Market, the International Gold Panda Animation Expo, the International Gold Panda Digital Art Awards, as well as the International Gold Panda Awards for Documentary, stated an official release.
The one-day Promax&BDA conference, featuring international and local speakers, will be held on November 26 to November 27. PROMAX&BDA Awards ceremony for promotion and design excellence in 10 categories will be held on 26 November in association with the SCTVF’s International Gold Panda Awards, which recognise and reward documentary and animation production achievement.
“Our first-ever PROMAX&BDA China opens up a vital new chapter in the development of promotion and design around the world,” says president and CEO of PROMAX&BDA Jim Chabin.
“We have long looked forward to welcoming promo-makers and designers from the People’s Republic of China into the global promo and design community in a more meaningful way. This has myriad benefits not only for local promo and design teams, who will now be offered the full benefit of Promax&BDA events on their home ground, but also for television stations around the world,” Chabin says. “Increased interaction with and input from one of the biggest television markets in the world can only enhance our understanding and add layers to our collective experience and expertise,” Chabin adds.
“Sichuan Province, located in the middle of China, covers an area of 485000 square km, with a population of 80 million people. China has a very big market for TV and film programs, and has more than 320 TV stations and 2262 TV channels,” “As delegates from TV Stations and channels will get together to the Sichuan TV Festival, our cooperation with Promax&BDA will enhance the communication between international professionals and Chinese TV stations and production companies, and provide them with more opportunities for cooperation and business,” says director of Sichuan TV festival office Xuzhao Zhong.
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Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
